Clip Your Own Wings
by Kris1101
Summary: 5 years after Breaking Dawn, Sue and Charlie had a small marriage ceremony and Seth and Sue moved in with Charlie. Leah is in Mexico, having left a year after the show down with the Volturi, when she gets a call from Sam's mother that changes the lives of Sam, Leah, and everybody else in between. **Full Summary inside. Rated M for future chapters.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer ~ any noticeable characters are the product of Stephanie Meyers' dreams

Summary: 5 years after Breaking Dawn, Sue and Charlie had a small marriage ceremony and Seth and Sue moved in with Charlie. Leah is in Mexico, having left a year after the show down with the Volturi, when she gets a call from Sam's mother that changes the lives of Sam, Leah, and everybody else in between. Can Leah put away her bitterness to help an ex-pack mate in need or will she go about her business and not look back? Can Sam move on if he loses a love again or will this be too much for him?

 _Leah_

She stared out of the window blankly, looking out at the overcast skies and the butterflies flying in the air. She didn't pay attention to the guy stirring on the other side of her. Didn't care that he was talking to her, telling her she needed to cut her hair, "you'll come to the beach tonight, right?" to which he receive no answer. He kissed her cheek and although she wanted to wipe it off she couldn't. How did she end up here, in her mom's house, without her mom or Seth in it? Not even 48 hours ago she was in her safe apartment in Mexico, about to go out with her gay friend, Jose, before she got that phone call from Sam's mom. Why did she call? Why did she have to ruin whatever illusion of peace Leah had? Leah felt the tears in her chest, the tears that she wouldn't allow to fall from her eyes. She replayed words that friends and family have told her for the past seven years, that she'd be fine. One day she'd be fine and she'll look back at this moment and understand that everything happens for a reason. However, in this moment, where Leah covered as much of her body as possible, she wasn't sure if she'd ever understand how her life could go from perfect to complete shit in a span of one day. One foolish day that altered her planned out future forever. She wasn't sure she felt safe in this skin anymore.

CYOW~CYOW~CYOW~CYOW

Eventually Leah got up from her spot and headed towards the little hospital they had on the Res. Could she handle seeing Emily's mangled body? She wasn't sure, but looking at her reflection in the window that only showed her overcast skies was only reminding her how out of touch she felt with her body in her home.

Sue met her daughter at the hospital doors and clung to her tight; knowing that her daughter hid her pain behind a mask, she didn't bother mentioning that Leah was gone for five years with no communication. She felt Leah's shuddering breath against her scalp and pulled away to look into her daughters eyes framed with long thick hair. She smoothed her daughter hair and waited for her to speak.

"What happened mom?" Leah asked after they both sat down.

"There was an accident. Emily was driving when a deer ran into the road. She swerved off the road and the car got completely totaled. Embry was on patrol, so he was able to get her out of the car and into the hospital safely. Leah, there's some things that you've missed out on-"

"I need to see Emily." Leah whispered, cutting off her mother. "I need to see her first before I get filled in with what I've been missing."

"Alright, 's just between those doors," Leah stood up, "be prepared, Sam is in there." She turned to her mother and nodded once before opening the swinging doors to see Emily's mangled body and Sam lying there in a cot next to her.

"Sam?" Leah whispered, suddenly unsure of herself or what she should do. Sam looked at her as if he was seeing a ghost. He didn't understand what was happening. One minute everything was fine. He was with his three kids and Emily was coming back home, they were going to surprise her with a baby shower, and now everything is wrong and Leah's here. _Leah's here. Leah's here. Leah's here._ Sam repeated over and over again in his head. _Everything was wrong but LeeLee was here, and she'll make everything better._

"LeeLee?" she fought the urge to flick him off and instead headed towards his cot and Emily's. She stood between the two cots, looking over at her cousin. She noticed the bump underneath her gown but said nothing, there were only three heartbeats she could detect from the room and nothing more. She turned to look at Sam, tears stinging behind her eyeballs.

"Sam, what's going on? I don't understand- my mom said Emily was driving and she flipped the car. I don't understand." Sam continued to look at her, struggling with the metal cord in his chest, the one that pulled him away from his Lee-Lee but ultimately gave him a family, a family he longed for. The metal cord that replaced the balloon strings that previously held him together. The metal cord that meant Emily was his imprint. He held on to the metal cord and tried to process what Leah was asking him. What didn't she understand? Where was he? He looked Leah in the eye and saw pain reflected there. Not just pain from today, pain that ran deep inside her soul. Something he was sure he caused.

"W-We were planning a surprise baby shower. I told her to go to the store and pick up some dough so that we she could bake, not knowing that we were throwing her something special. Now, now, she's going to die, and it's all my fault. I can't. I can't," he started to gasp for air.

"Don't say that Sam. It's not your fault and she's not going to die. Take deep breaths with me, okay...It's going to be okay." Leah said soothingly but with a hint of uncertainty. She didn't know any more than the doctors.

"Leah, I can _feel_ her slipping away, and I don't know how long it's going to take for me to go after her. It hurt to be away from her at any time, she'll be gone forever, what am I supposed to do then? My kids-"

"What kids, Sammy?" With those three words, she came apart inside. She hadn't called him Sammy since before the imprint, hadn't thought about kids, purposefully, in four years. Could she have them? Who knew, but the elders told her most likely not. Her subconscious dream of getting back together with Samuel and having kids was destroyed. She couldn't rip apart a family, she couldn't ever be the reason Sam treated his kids how Joshua treated him and Embry. She wouldn't. Sam stared at Leah's vulnerable form in front of him and like every time he saw her he wondered why vampire, werewolves, and all this bullshit had to come in between something as pure and good as him and Leah.

"Leanne, Michael, and SJ. Emily was pregnant with – Leah, please, you have to help me. I can't leave Emily, and they won't tell my anything about the baby. She was too early. Emily was only 6 months, they needed to get her out before, before the umbilical chord had a chance to suffocate her."

"Okay, okay… I'll go check on your little girl. But you have to promise me Sam, please…don't harm yourself while I'm gone." She said a little roughly. She wanted to just see Emily and leave, go away forever back to the safe haven that wasn't where her house resided, back to Mexico. But she could already tell, like everything in her life, her choices were being taken away from her on important matters of the heart.


	2. Chapter 2

**disclaimer

 _Emily_

She didn't know how to get back into her body. She wanted to go back home to Sam and her babies. She wanted to see this baby shower everybody kept talking about around he still body. She wanted to have a chance to talk to her cousin, her once best friend, Leah. She didn't know how much she missed Leah until she was in her hospital room, holding her hand. Nobody could tell, not even Sam, but Leah was holding tight to Emily's hand, because at the end of the day, imprinting or not, they will always be important to each other, if not for the simple fact that they were cousins, but they were once close to being sisters. Emily thought about her real love, before the 'gods' took control and decided Sam was for her. She never told Sam about Edgar. How he made her shine like there was no tomorrow. How his smile radiated in her for as long as she saw it. There was a lot Leah didn't know. Emily had no intention of staying in La Push, she was content with Edgar in her life. She didn't need to love Sam, she didn't care about any of this wolf business. But then, one night when Edgar was on his way to pick up Emily from La Push he was attacked by a vampire, most likely one of the new borns that Victoria was hell bent to join her army. She needed somebody to comfort her in her grief then, and eventually all she saw was Edgar in Sam and Leah couldn't of walked in at a worse time. With her cousin locked in an embrace with her still then fiancé. When Leah dumped Sam, saying that he could have Emily and Emily could have her fiancé, they still tried to fight off the imprint, Leah was still living on the Res. But eventually, the wolf business became something he could only share with Emily. Emily was the only one who knew about his until Jared and Paul phased and she became the Pack's 'mom' figure, cooking them meals and making sure they were all okay and well hydrated. They slowly developed feelings for each other and had decided to make it official and not hide from the imprint any longer when Leah joined the pack. By then, Sam and Emily were completely infatuated with each other and Sam couldn't take Emily off of his mind. Which only fueled Leah's bitterness towards them.

Now look at them all, the triangle that never resolved itself. It could never resolve itself. Was Leah meant to imprint on one of Sam's sons as Jacob did to Bella's daughter? Emily's spirit scoffed at that. No, that wasn't meant to happen, but what was? What was supposed to happen in order for Leah to be happy with her life, after so long? Emily's mind tried to resolve the problem as her spirit waged a war with itself, she needed to speak with Leah, alone, but she also felt the tides of death coming in closer and closer.

 _Leah_

Leah walked down the path towards the NICU unit. She couldn't believe what was going on. Four kids! Four kids in less than five years. She looked through the glass that separated the NICU patients fighting for their short lives from the advanced immune systems of walking disease cases outside their sanitary bubble. That's when she spotted her, it had to be Emily and Sam's little girl. Her hair pattern had the same traits as Sue, Leah, and Emily. Her button nose resembled Emily's as a little girl but that dimple on her chin was all Sam. She would recognize their children anywhere, she figured if they all resembled their parents like this. Leah concluded that there'd never been a more beautiful child that she'd seen in all her life. She placed one hand on her barren womb as her eyes zeroed in on the girl. Four kids! She didn't know how long she stood there are she zeroed in on the little girl's heartbeat and listened to her little gasps of air from her under developed lungs; she found the nerve somewhere to go back to Emily's room.

"Sam," she called out to him and he turned to see her, she smiled gently at him, "She's okay, they said that you could go in there if you want. You know, to feed her." Sam looked between the door and Emily. "Sam, I'll stay here with Emily and call you if anything happens, your daughter needs you, she needs at least one of her parents. Your children need you Sam, Emily would want you to make sure they're okay." Leah said forcefully. It took nearly five minutes before he was gone, not without placing a kiss on Emily's cheek, and Leah could take the chair sitting beside Emily. "I'm so sorry, Em. I spent all this time mad at you, but I've never stopped loving you. I know you must be in a lot of pain. God, I'm sorry," Leah knelt her head down to sob into her cousin's sheets when she felt her hand being gripped hard.

"L-Leah," Leah looked up to look into her cousin's eyes, "Leah, you have to help them. Tell him it's okay. I love you Leah," Leah looked at her with tears shining in her eyes, what was Emily trying to tell her? Goodbye? No, not like this.

"Em, we're supposed to hate each other forever, you can't die now. Sam needs you, he's completely lost without you." At Emily's laugh, Leah didn't want to admit that she needed her cousin more than ever. She couldn't live without her. Emily was a constant in her life from the time she was a baby where she loved her to know where she felt a mixture of love and the deep wounds of betrayal. Emily stroked Leah's cheek like a mother soothing her young child.

"I never wanted to hurt you Leah. You're like my sister, promise me that no matter what happens to me, no matter what happened between Sam, you, and I that you'll look after my babies. Sam's mom is too old to do it herself and I your mom already has Seth. Will you promise me this?" Leah let the tears fall on her cousin's sheets. She could hear the way her lungs fought to drag in as much oxygen, could hear her heartbeat starting to pick up.

"I promise," she whispered. "I'll take care of your family, I promise. Sleep now. It's okay." Leah kissed her cousin and held Emily's hand as she fought for her last breath.

"I love you Leah. Forever and ever, till the moon and back till the stars don't shine." She heard a little girl's voice that resembled Emily's when they were younger, she heard herself say, _I love you too Em, till the moon and back till the sun don't shine each morning. Cause the sun gives us strength to live and as long as one of us is alive, our love will live._ She heard the two little girls laughing and came back to her cousin's cold hand. She placed a final kiss and went out to find Sam.


	3. Chapter 3

**disclaimer

 _Sam_

He walked out of his room, feeling the metal cord still in his chest stretching and yet he knew by the end of the night it would be gone. What was he to do then? Where would he go? Who would he be? He asked himself these questions all the way to the NICU and waited with baited breath until the nurse brought him his little girl, his little Rhea. Sam was torturing himself with the name he convinced Emily on, a name that was meant for a daughter between himself and Leah, but he couldn't resist. He held her close as he felt the metal cord stretching almost like it was ready to snap.

"It's going to be okay Princess Rhea. That's what cousin Leah said, and when we were younger her words were gold, so I have to believe her on this. I have to, because the thought you without a mommy isn't going to form in my mind. I won't allow it. Emily will meet you precious girl, and everything will fall into place, you'll see. The gods have a way of completely f-chucking your life out the window and giving you a new one that you can live with. But I can't live without Emily, they know that, so she'll stay." All the while his little girl listened to his ramblings with little gusts of air coming out of her round mouth. She was special, of this he was sure. He couldn't help but stare into her milky brown eyes as he fed her the bottle that would sustain her for the time being, until Emily could get better. And then something snapped, he looked up and his body was having a reaction to something that his brain hadn't comprehended yet. Tears filled his eyes, he felt the need to howl for his mate. Why would he need to howl for Emily? He handed the baby over to the nurse with a goodbye kiss and headed towards Emily's room. He took one look at Leah on the ground covering her face but barely concealing her sob noises, and nearly lost it right there. Leah didn't cry, in all her bitterness and everything that she had been through, she had not shed a single tear. The last time he saw her cry was at Harry's funeral. Not when things went downhill for them, not when she was nearly mauled by a vampire trespassing on La Push one night, not one tear and here she was sobbing on the floor of the hospital. He still didn't understand what was going on but he felt her voice like a whisper in the wind, _Take care of them Sam. They need you now that I'm gone. They need you more than ever._

Sam remembered the question he had with each of his children: _How did he calm them_? They only wanted their mother, whenever he held them when they were newborns they would bawl and squirm making him scared he was going to drop them. Each time was the same although the kids were different. He couldn't deal with the uncertainty and dismay in his head anymore. He went in her room, prepared to bring her back. What was going on, there was movement behind him. Leah? No, he could hear her still outside the door low on the ground sobbing. He growled when they touched his imprint's covers. What were they doing? He nearly snarled and phased when they covered her face, but Leah was there to hold him back. She shoved him outside and into the woods where he could shift properly without any lookers and he howled at the sky. Leah sat on a fallen stump looking on at the grieving wolf, and felt the tears burn her cheek.

A/N: Alright, so tell me what you think so far. how do you like it? How do you hate it? etc, etc.


	4. Chapter 4

*disclaimer

 _Leah_

It's been two months and here she was again, staring out of her little window as the guy mentioned her hair. Again. This time she turned to glare at him.

"I didn't let you come in my room so you can tell me how to live my life, okay." He gaped at her, surprised but inwardly pleased that she was showing some type of emotion that wasn't sadness and guilt. "I don't need to cut my hair if I want to run around like a puffball when I shift, I will. There's nothing you're ever going to say that will make me change my mind." She continued glaring as he smiled like some kind of idiot. He didn't hear what she was saying but she stopped talking when he jumped on the bed and began tickling her. "Wha-What the fuck are you doing? Stop that!" she tried to wiggle out from underneath her attacker but to no avail. He was stronger than her and his wolf loved to be on top of her.

"That's fine Leah, you can run around like a puffball. I don't care. But when it's raining while you're on patrol I'll gladly tell you 'I told you so'," he placed a slobbery kiss to her cheek.

"God, you're so immature Paul. Why do I deal with you?"

"Because you love me, and you can't stay away from me d-"

"Let's see how long you'll have that thing if you don't get off of me right now." He gave her one more kiss and leapt off the bed.

"I gotta go to the garage, are you going to see the kids?" He said while straightening up and pulling on his shirt.

"Yeah, and check on Sam," he frowned at that. Paul didn't like Leah so close to her ex-lover, his little insecurity turning his smile into a frown. Leah wasn't unaware."Hey, you know nothing is going on, right? Just because Emily's gone, doesn't mean that I want to go back to him. It doesn't mean that he wants me back." She kneeled on the bed, the sheet covering the body Paul spent all night worshipping. It was the closest to love he got. He looked at the way her hair fell over her shoulders as she licked her plump lips before they set into a worried frown. Her eyes, those chocolate eyes he could stare into forever. He stared into them and saw what he wanted to see. Devotion. Loyalty. He smiled at her, tickling her neck before running his fingers through her hair.

"I know. Bye!" he said with one final hoorah kiss and a tickle before running away knowing if he didn't Leah would chase after him.

CYOW~CYOW~CYOW~CYOW

Leah walked to Sam's house finding it how she did every morning: Four year olds Michael and SJ (Sam Junior) watching cartoons with their three year old sister, Leanne while baby Rhea laid in her bassinet in her own room cooing sometimes crying for herself, almost as if she could feel the depressing atmosphere; Sam would be lying in his bed, still with his five o'clock shadow. The older kids stopped asking when mommy was coming back just the past month, about three weeks after Emily died. Leah walked in.

"Auntie Leah!" The three kids beamed at her and any dark feelings she had in her heart were eliminated by the smiles of those three beautiful kids.

"I brought muffins," she said quietly giving a hug to Leanna, who ran towards her.

"Are they the ones from England?" Michael beamed following her into the kitchen. Leah let out a guffaw.

"No, honey. They're just plain ol' chocolate chip muffins. You know what, how about I give you guys some breakfast and let me see if I can get Daddy to come out of his lair. How bout that huh?" She asked while tickling SJ.

"Yes!" They all yelled.

"Cans I gives kissy Daddy if he sleeps?" Leah got the gist of what Leanne was trying to say and nodded her head.

Leah headed towards Rhea's room and changed the little girl's diaper diaper before singing her a lullaby and putting her back to sleep. She turned from the girl's room and headed towards Sam, it was never easy going into Sam and Emily's marriage room but with each day she entered with a heavy heart to find bottled littering the floor. Sam's wolf refused to let the alcohol stay in his system long and Sam could never manage anything stronger than the effects of feeling tipsy but that took about 20 bottles. She looked at his form and kicked him.

"Rise and Shine asshole."


	5. Chapter 5

*disclaimer

 _Sam_

Two weeks and he couldn't seem to get out of this bed. He could hear Emily's spirit telling him to take care of the kids. _Feed Rhea!_ she would scream in his ear. It was the only time he could get up. His final peace of Emily, he had to take care of her. The alcohol didn't come until after the burial, about a week after she died. Leah stayed over to watch over the kids while he was still at the gravesite and he didn't come home until the morning after. Leah was sitting on the couch with a rod straight spine. Sam had taken fifty shots in five seconds. His wolf was not used to the alcohol and although he wasn't black-out drunk, he could tell he was more than tipsy. Sam laughed at Leah's posture, only to be met with her steel glare. She got up and pushed the screen door open. It's was three in the morning.

"Shut up," he only managed to giggle some more, "Sam, you have four kids sleeping and the baby just got put back to bed from her bottle, so shut up, " he zipped his lips in a motion that only seemed to piss Sam off some more. "Where the fuck were you?"

"I ran to Port Angeles. Emily's gone Leah." Her face softened before hardening again. She understood his need to get away, but she would never understand if he abandoned his children.

"Sam, you have four kids in there who lost their mother, they don't need to lose their father too. Rhea's a good baby she doesn't wake up often, most likely she won't wake up for another 2-3 hours. I'll be back at 5 to make breakfast for the other kids. Just try to take care of yourself," she said with finality and disgust as she walked away. The look on Leah's face sobered Sam up pretty quick and he headed towards each of his kids' rooms and placed a kiss on each other their faces.

Today, Sam didn't even bother closing his eyes as Leah made her way into his room. Ever since that first night Leah couldn't refrain from calling him an asshole and he didn't seem to have the energy to tell her otherwise. He was acting just like his father, Joshua. He's not there, emotionally, for his kids. And it's his own fault. _Take care of the kids. Love them. It's going to be okay,_ Emily's soul chanted. But the wolf imprint in Sam was telling him to end it. To leave the kids with Leah, who was more than capable, as she has shown, to take care of the kids.

"Rise and Shine asshole," he grumbled as Leah kicked a bottle from underneath his foot, making him stub his toe. "I can't stay forever today, so you're going to actually have to get up and take care of your kids." She sat on his bed and talked conversationally, but everything she said held an extra weight in his heart. "Leanne wants to know if she can come in and kiss you, but I figured you might want to wash out your mouth before. Your kids need you Sam and I get it. I know you lost someone very -"

"She wasn't just a person Leah, she was my imprint. So no, you don't understand. She wasn't just a person to me, she was my imprint. I can't, I can't _breathe_ without her. So I don't possibly understand how _you_ could ever feel this grief that I am struggling with." He would find out much later that Leah didn't wait for his rant to continue as he diminished the love they once shared and described it as 'nothing compared to what Emily and I have'. Her wolf hearing allowed her to hear what Sam was saying as he continued on.

But Leah was no longer listening she went out of his room and back into the kitchen, plastered a smile on her face, finished breakfast with the kids and went to work without a goodbye to Sam.


	6. Chapter 6

*disclaimer

 _Paul_

He watched her every morning as she stared out that little window in her bedroom. Watched as the crease between her eyebrows furrowed, noticed the dip right above her lips. He knew she would get up after he left, waiting for him to end their day. Did she ever acknowledge the way he propped his elbow to look at he clearly or the way he twirled her hair between his fingers before telling her to cut it? Could she tell that he was hiding behind those words. Maybe if she cut the hair he loved to run his fingers through, he would love her less. He scoffed at the idea. He loved Leah because she was independent, not because of her gorgeous hair, that just happened to be a bonus. Maybe she did acknowledge it, maybe she knew the truth behind his actions. They didn't live together but he always ended up in her bed at night for more than just sex; his clothes for work the next morning were there, across the little chair in the corner and his favorite boxers were there in her drawer right next to his favorite thong he loved to see her with, if just to take it off.

He wondered how she was coping with Emily's death. How she was _really_ feeling about going to Sam and Emily's place every morning and watching those kids. Did she think about the kids that she thought she couldn't have. If Bella's half breed child could be more than a one time occurrence, surely there had to be another female shapeshifter. There had to be a way for caring, selfless, independent Leah to have kids. He knew Leah, he knew she went over there ready to play house, albeit one with a drunken father and a mother who practically raises the kids by herself, but house nonetheless. She loved those little kids like they were her own and they were each wallowing in their own grief, helping each other out. Was she selfish for wishing pretending the kids were hers? No, he thought, the kids needed somebody in their life who treated them like their own children, what with Sam being on emotional hiatus.

"Let's go to the beach," Leah turned to him with a smile. "You and me, let's go to the beach and have a fun day."

"You have work" he simply stared at her, god she had a beautiful smile. A smile that showed two dimples on one cheek and one dimple on the other, "and I have the kids."

"I'm the boss, and bring the kids. They need to get out of that house for a little while. To forget about everything that's going on and retain some form of their childhood. Let's go to the beach. Please," he wall but begged her with a pouty look and widened eyes. Leah snorted.

"Alright, we'll go. I'll meet you there in fifteen minutes, with the kids."

"Sweet," Paul flipped to lay on his back with his shoulders to rest on the headboard behind him, "get dressed."

"No!" she laughed, "You pervert! Get out, you just want to see me na-"

"That's not true! I mean, that's an added benefit but I just want to make sure that you're going to put on beach attire suitable for the beach," Paul caught the pillow before it landed on his chest and sprung from the bed.

"God, you're such a liar." Leah followed him out the door, chucking the whole way. Paul smiled at making his girl laugh. He took one last kiss before going to his house to get ready, finally giving Leah an opportunity to look away from that little window and be excited about the day ahead of her. Yeah, today would be a pretty good day, he was sure.


	7. Chapter 7

*disclaimer

 _Sam_

He was lost, but he was laying down. Was he home? Was he in bed? He was dreaming that was it, he closed his eyes agains the dark room and the pounding headache and reached blindly for the bottle that was within a few inches from his face and took a drink. He's been able to drown his wolf by drinking a bottle every minute. He didn't bother opening his eyes as he heard a door open and close. He could only think of Emily and his loss.

 _Leah_

She didn't bother going into his room to see how he was. She could smell the alcohol in the air due to her heightened senses. She gathered the kids and got them ready for the beach on this rare sunny day. On their way over, Leah held Rhea and her ever present 'super baby' bag in one arm while holding Leanne's hand in the other, while the boys stayed walking in front of her. They were all pretty excited about going to the beach with Leah and her friend while Leanne was just getting over the fact that daddy couldn't go with them. Daddy couldn't go a lot of places recently, Leah thought bitterly. Leah saw Paul at the exact moment the boys did, who decided to run to him while Leanne squirmed next to Leah and blushed. Leah laughed, noting the little girl's crush on Paul. Paul fist bumped the little men who jumped in the air to reach his fist and headed towards little Leanne. Paul was aware of the little girl's crush as he pulled on her hair ponytail.

"Is that Princess Leanne? The most fairest princess of them all?" He declared broadly. Leanne blushed harder, if that was possible and simply looked at Paul in awe. "Well, may I have a hug Princess Leanne?" Leanne let go of Leah's hand and put both arms around Paul's neck and gave him a slobbery kiss on the cheek. "And I'll take this little girl. Who is this, Princess Leanne I don't think you ever introduced us." Leah walked away from Paul and the girls in search for the boys.

"Okay! Who wants to go in the water?" Leah exclaimed, making the boys stop their search for the perfect tree stump to look under for bugs. Boys.

"Let's go! Let's go!" She sat in the cool Pacific as waves crashed into her back and the boys jumped the waves coming into the shore-bed. She smiled at the boys laughing and giggling, splashing each other. She silently thanked Paul for getting almost all of them out of the house and keeping Leanne - who felt Sam's absence the most - occupied. She heard Rhea make her first laughing sounds as Paul sank her waist deep into the ocean, as she kicked and laughed over and over again. Leah looked towards the forest and spotted Sam stumbling between the trees. She looked over at Paul, who was staring at the same spot.

"Stay with the kids," she muttered. "I'll be back boys, I'm going to bring you a surprise!" she exclaimed, not knowing what in the world she was going to bring them. It certainly wasn't going to be a drunk father.

"What are you doing here Sam?" Leah hissed. Sam oddly smiled at her.

"Emily, you're here," he let out a breath of relief, Leah could only imagine. She looked at him in confusion.

"Sam, you're drunk. It's me Leah."

"You're hair is so long. I love it when you wear your hair long. But look, Emily, you have to come back. Leah's at the house taking care of the kids and I want it to be you. Just come back to the house and everything will be fine. Did you get the scar fixed? Is that why you were gone for so long. I missed you so much," he reached for Leah and grabbed her into a bone-crushing hug. Leah was frozen, not understanding what was going on right now.

"Sam, it's me. I'm Leah. Emily's dead."

"Why do you keep saying your Leah? I know you're Emily. You're so funny babe. I knew you had a sense of humor. I missed you so much," one minute he was looking at Leah with tears and the next he pulled her back into him but not for hug this time, a kiss. Leah almost gagged. She almost cried. This was not happening, she would not let him toy with her again. Not this time. He wouldn't mess up what she had with Paul, not because of Sam. She wouldn't mess up the peace she was finding inside herself once again. She disengaged her lips from his in one fluid motion ending it with a square punch to the jaw that knocked him out cold.


	8. Chapter 8

_*_ disclaimer

 _Leah_

Leah stretched her hand out to alleviate the stress from her knuckles and looked at Sam's body laying at her feet. She heaved him up onto her shoulders and listened as he noisily snored in her ear. He had no right. No right at all to ruin her happy day, to ruin the kids' happy day. After so much grief, one day was too much to ask of Sam. She understood the pain of loss, how it feels to lose an imprint. She had been gone from five years after all. She new more about loss than Sam did, she shook that thought out of her head. It wasn't a competition. Loss was loss and they all needed each other at this time. She was at a loss though, how did she get Sam to see she needed help?

Leah placed Sam on his bed and quickly disposed of the bottles, she was sick of enabling him and not demanding that he be there for his kids. Enough was enough. She hurriedly made her way back to the beach and jumped in the water to put her mind at ease, she stayed for some time before Paul jumped in after her. She smiled at him before they both reached the surface.

"The kids are on the blanket," he said, knowing she was going to ask how he freed himself, "you okay?" Leah didn't know how to answer that. Paul didn't know what happened within those five years she was gone, it was something she didn't speak of and he never asked about. The pain of what transpired was still fresh, everyday was a challenge but she learned that she needed to move on, to put her head up and be the Leah that everyone new, the no bullshit one, even if the one handing out bullshit was just Life.

"Yeah, fine. Sam just came and he was really drunk. I need to find a way to deal with him that's not toxic towards the children or me, you know?" Paul nodded.

"Okay, but for now. We're here with the kids and we're having a good time. Although the boys are wondering what their present is going to be," Leah reached underneath her foot until she found a big enough shell that would placate them.

"Is this good enough? You can hear the ocean," she held up the shell and stuck her tongue out at Paul. He quickly grabbed her chin and captured her peeking tongue between his lips. Leah playfully slapped his chest and pushed him away. "The kids are here you pervert!" reverting back to their morning banter Leah led him out of the water, Paul didn't mind he was enjoying the view.

"Auntie Leeeeah?" The children sang, her heart broke for them once more.

"Look what I found guys!" The three children gathered around the shell and listened to the noise of the ocean.

"Look Rhea!" Michael said to his youngest sister, gently placing the shell to her ear. Leah and Paul laughed at the look of amazement on her face. Leah's heart gave another pang.

They stayed at the beach until the moon shone down on them and the children's sleepy yawns were illuminated by the fire light Paul set up. Rhea was sleeping in Paul's arms as Leah held SJ, Michael, and Leanne, telling them stories of a lifetime ago. Before Sam, before Emily, before werewolves and vampires. When life was normal and full of happiness. Soon the kids were asleep and Paul and Leah sat in a silence. For Leah it wasn't much of a comfortable silence as she thought of the past couple of days and everything Sam had said.


	9. Chapter 9

*disclaimer

 _Leah_

Another day. Another moment of staring outside that window. Yesterday was beautiful, but today it was just raining. Leah knew she had to get up but there was something about today, something that stopped her from responding to Paul. Something that refused to stop the tears from falling down her face. She could feel the burn, and yet she did move to wipe them off her face. Paul still played there watching as she closed her eyes and silent sobs over took her body. She faintly heard Paul making calls to his work saying he couldn't make it, and a call to Sam saying Leah wasn't coming in today. The sobs kept coming and Leah couldn't figure out why today her heart's wounds decided to pour out of her. Why today? She knew it wasn't from Sam's kiss and yet there was something he said that bothered her. _So no, you don't understand. She wasn't just a person to me, she was my imprint._ His words kept playing in her head over and over again. She felt the bed dip and her eyes squeezed tighter together felt his arms around her and for the first time since she came back to La Push, his arms weren't the ones she wanted around her. She gasped for air to make it stop. Paul was there continuously stroking her hair and staring out to the window for her.

"I imprinted." she whispered into the space that was once filled with her sobs. Paul looked at her with something in his eyes that she couldn't quite detect. "I imprinted on a man in Montana about a month after I left, Apisi."

"Where is he?" Paul asked with a slight tremor in his voice. Leah wouldn't leave him, right?

"Things were great, he was from one of the Indian tribes there,. They had there own legends. They were shapeshifter too, but shifted into Coyotes. Humungous coyotes. He was the alpha, is name meant Coyote, in fact. That's how they decide who is the alpha. We had a year to ourselves, and then little Aiyanna was born," Paul noticed the far away look and how she spoke the name Aiyanna with forlorn reverence. "It was the first time a Coyote and Werewolf mixed, we didn't know if she would live or die. I don't know if she's dead or alive." Another sob, but she quickly squashed it. "God, she was so beautiful. Had her dad wrapped around he finger so tight. Ayanna was about six months old when Demetri, that creepy guy from the Volturi, came over on one of the days when the sun wasn't out. Apisi went to protect me and Aiyanna, but Demetri was faster and just flung him to the ground like some rag doll. I held Aiyanna closer to me as he made accusation that I was spreading the secrets of the vampires. I don't even know where he heard that from. He looked at me and then looked at Aiyanna. Saying that he would take my baby as payment. I tried to fight him, but I couldn't with a baby in my hand. When he took her I shifted and ran after him, but he just went in the trees and ran. I howled at the night, I kept on howling. Until I remembered Apisi. My imprint, Apisi, was killed by the fucking vampire freak. My baby is somewhere, probably in Italy. I can still feel her, but I don't know if that means she's alive or what. I've been looking for them everywhere. I traveled to Italy once, right after it happened but he wasn't there. The little twins said that he gave my baby away so that I could ne-" Leah's body was once again overtaken by the sobs that seemed to be in her forever. Today was the anniversary. It made it five years. Four since she thought about having children, because she knew that she just wanted her Aiyanna. That's all she wanted. Paul took her in his arms and held the girl who seemed to take on the world on her shoulders. Why was Demetri following her anyway?


	10. Chapter 10

*disclaimer

AGES at this point

 **Michael & SJ - 4**

 **Leanne - 3 3/4**

 **Rhea - 6 mo**

 **Leah - 26**

 **Sam - 27**

 **Paul - 27**

 _Sam_

He woke up with a pounding headache and a phone blaring in his ear. Paul's name flashed on his screen. He picked up the phone and answered it. He heard the sobbing in the background as Paul told him Leah wasn't coming in today. What was he going to do? He hadn't needed to take care of the kids, not really, since Emily died. He got out of his bed and noticed that the bottles were gone. When he walked outside he was surprised to see the kids up and watching TV.

"Is Auntie Leah coming today, daddy?" SJ asked him.

"Um, no, she - something came up and she can't make it. So, I guess it's just going to be you guys and your old dad." SJ and Michael looked at him with blank stared before turning back to the TV and watching Spongebob. Leanne gave him a big smile before jumping in his arms.

"I missed you Daddy," She practically yelled in his ear. He smiled at her before placing a kiss on her cheek. "I missed you too honey cup. What do you guys want for breakfast?"

"Can we have eggs and bacon?" the kids ask, forgetting that Sam couldn't cook anything on the stove that couldn't go on the grill. Which limited his cooking skills to just cuts of meat.

"How about some cereal?" they shrugged their shoulders and Leanne kept smiling at him. Happy to have her daddy back out again, she gave him a kiss on the cheek every five minutes.

While the kids ate their breakfast, Sam tried to remember what happened the day before. All he could remember was that he was lying in his bed and he got up to go get more alcohol. He stopped at the beach and, that's when everything goes blank. Did he hang out with the kids? No, because then the side of his face wouldn't be hurting and he wouldn't have woken up with a splitting headache. He watched the kids eat and smiled at them. SJ and Michael were still wary of him. Although they were four, it was hard for them to reconcile with the fact that for months their daddy wasn't there to tuck them in at night, and they resorted to memorizing Leah's number and typing it in the number pad so that she could calm them down when they had nightmares. Sam excused himself from the dining table when he heard Rhea's whimpers. _It must be time for her breakfast._

"How was your day at the beach?" He asked after settling back in his chair with Rhea in one hand and a bottle in the other. He couldn't believe that his daughter was getting so big when the last time he saw her, the last time he actually held her, her head was just the size of his palm.

"Leah and Paul took us to the beach and then we wents in the water and Auntie Leah had to go out of the water and she was gone forever, but then she came back and she gaved us a pretty shell that we'd could hear the ocean in and then Paul blew the horn and it made this loud noise. We stayed there all night, daddy, until the moon was high in the sky. And we had a bonfire, but all by ourselves. But we all falled asleep before we got home and I thinks Paul and Auntie Leah carried us back." Leanna answered with excitement in her voice.

Sam wondered why Leah was gone and saw her angry face coming towards him. He replayed the scene in his head, he called her Emily? She punched him in the face after he _kissed_ her. _What the fuck is wrong with me?_ Sam had no words for what he did. Wasn't even sure he could face Leah, but knew he had to.

"Guys, why don't we go to Auntie Leah's place, huh. Let's see how she is." It took an hour and a half, but the five of them eventually made it out of the Uley's house and started walking to Leah's house. He could hear the quiet whispers of Leah and Paul and could tell when they recognized that he was on Leah's porch.

"What the fuck is he doing here?" Paul asked. He heard movement and then the door opened revealing an angry, shirtless Paul, until he saw the kids and his face melted into a smile. "Hello?"

"We came to see if Auntie Leah needs help," SJ said bouncing in the house and sitting on Leah's couch. Leah walked out then. Sam noticed the circles under her eyes and her red eyes, her face was ashen and her hair was pulled back in a bun. She nodded at Paul and touched his back as she passed him and gave the kids each a hug.

"Paul's going to watch you kids while I talk to your dad, alright." Leah told them, while handing Rhea to Paul. Leanne went to Paul as well, and demanded to be picked up. Paul laughed while picking her up. Sam wondered what she wanted to talk about, his drinking? the kiss? the kids? He wasn't sure, but he nodded numbly and followed her out the door.

"Say one word wrong and I'll kick your ass Uley." Paul whispered low enough for him to hear. Sam gave a short, stiff nod and continued to follow Leah.


	11. Chapter 11

*disclaimer

 _Sam_

Leah led me to a stump on the beach and told me to sit down. She paced in front of me for awhile, alternating between biting the side of her fingers and looking out to the ocean. Eventually she came to kneel in front of me and placed her hands on my knees.

"Did you have a drink today?" confused, and a little angry at her, I shook my head. Although I couldn't really be angry at her for the past six months most of my days were spent too intoxicated to get out of bed. "Okay, good." She stared into my eyes and seemed to search for something before she proceeded to open and close her mouth for what felt like forever.

"What is it, Leah?"

"I don't know how to say this, so I'm just going to start and let the words spill out my mouth, and I need you to not say a word. I can't have you interrupting until the very end, do you understand?"

"Yeah, just tell me what's wrong, you're freaking me out here."

"What you said the other day _hurt,"_ I opened my mouth to respond but she quickly shot that down with a glare, "it not only hurt, it fucking killed me. Yeah, I get Emily was your imprint, and maybe you think I don't know what that's like, but the simple fact is that she was my cousin before she became your imprint, and my cousin before we even met. So, yeah it hurt. Sam, you have to understand that I'm not the same person that left. I've been gone for five years and I know that seems like nothing when we phase and we can live forever, but that doesn't stop the world from happening around us.

"I was planning on traveling the U.S. and started heading east, you know cover the boarder and then work my way in, but I stopped in Montana. That's where I met the Blackfoot tribe. I was phasing one night when one of the tribe elders saw me and 'requested' I be brought back to their tribe. On the way, they told me that they had their own shifters and didn't know that others existed. Of course, I didn't know thy existed either, but I didn't tell him that. He asked where I was from and I just told him Washington. He laughed at my evasive answers and led me to this legit looking hut. It was the most beautiful thing I ever saw. The elder introduced me to his son, Apisi.

"And I didn't know what in the world was happening to me but suddenly I couldn't take my eyes off of him. They were telling me their legends of Coyote shifters and I didn't believe it until Apisi shifted. They told me that they also had female shifters and started asking me about female shifters in our tribe. Once I told them I was the only one, they seemed disappointed somehow." This couldn't be happening. Leah couldn't have imprinted. There was _No_ way she could be with Paul. I opened my mouth to speak but quickly shut it down.

"I figured I imprinted on Apisi," she claimed with an eye roll, "he imprinted on me as well and couldn't leave me alone. After about a month, my wolf gave in and I had to get to know him. I wasn't just going to jump his bones right then and there. It took several months, but eventually we got to know each other better and we married. We had a little daughter together, Aiyanna. God, she was so beautiful. Had her dad wrapped around he finger so tight. Ayanna was about six months old when Demetri, that creepy guy from the Volturi, came over on one of the days when the sun wasn't out. Apisi went to protect me and Aiyanna, but Demetri was faster and just flung him to the ground like some rag doll. I held Aiyanna closer to me as he made accusations that I was spreading the secrets of the vampires. I don't even know where he heard that from. He looked at me and then looked at Aiyanna. Saying that he would take my baby as payment. I tried to fight him, but I couldn't with a baby in my hand. When he took her I shifted and ran after him, but he just went in the trees and ran. I howled at the night, I kept on howling. Until I remembered Apisi. My imprint, Apisi, was killed by the fucking vampire freak. My baby is somewhere, probably in Italy. I can still feel her, but I don't know if that means she's alive or I'm just getting delusional. I've been looking for her everywhere. I traveled to Italy once, right after it happened but he wasn't there. The little twins said that he gave my baby away so that I could never find her. That was four years ago.

"After I buried Apisi, I called the Cullens and asked Alice to look for Demetri, but because of her not being able to see hybrids, she's still trying to find a way to get a channel on him. I don't know where he would've taken her because I don't know everybody that's in with the Volturi. Carlisle called everybody that came, but their allies have not heard from the Volturi since the battle that never happened. I was a day from going to Africa when I got the call from Emily and that's when I came back. The relationship with Paul just kind of happened, and then you were in no shape to take care of the children, so I stayed for them. But, eventually, I have to get out there and search for my own daughter, you know?" She finished and looked at me quizzically, as if gauging my reaction.

"You imprinted?" I whispered, looking at her, she seemed exasperated.

"Yes, I imprinted and I had a daughter."

"And he died?" I seemed stuck on specifics about this guy who imprinted on Leah, but not on her daughter. If looks could kill I'm certain I would be dead at the moment.

"Yes," I could see how I hurt her with the statement I made. She understood more than I did what it was like to lose an imprint, she lost a child as well, while all four of my kids are still here with me and I'm simply wasting away on my bed with a bottle of whatever liquor can do the trick. God I've been such an ass.

A/N: Sorry about the switch from 3rd to 1st person.


	12. Chapter 12

_*_ disclaimer

 _Leah_

This day has been a bitch. Thinking back at what happened over the past few hours was tiring for Leah, so she decided to sit back on her butt and stare at Sam before saying anything she would regret. _Yeah, he's been an asshole._ She thought bitterly. _But for way longer than just a few months._ She felt the pain that was becoming more and more stifling as the days go on. She felt like something major was about to happen to her baby and she needed to prepare everybody, Paul, the kids, even Sam for when she left to go find her baby. Rhea reminded her so much of her little girl that it was beginning to get harder to get up and look away from that little window where she saw her husband and her little girl playing in daddy's arms. Sometimes she had dreams of her father telling her that it would be okay. Sometimes it would be her husband. She knew to trust them, the natives of the land are very much in-tune with their spiritual beings.

"So, when are you leaving to look?" Sam said, breaking her from the train of thought she was on.

"Um, the Cullen's are actually going to be visiting a lot of their friends and asking them if they know anything, but I'm going to South America. I'm going to visit Nahuel to see what happened to his father. If the Volturi ever got a hold of him."

"You think he would have -"

"Aiyanna? I don't know what to think, but I know he has a sick obsession with hybrids. The bastard as about 12 hybrid children possibly more than his son knows. Aiyanna is a wolf hybrid but I know he'd be interested in her. I just don't know what the Volutri want with her."

"Leah, I'm so sorr-"

"It's fine Sam. I'm leaving in about a month. First I need to talk to the elders."

 **A/N: Short but there'll be more very soon.**


	13. Chapter 13

*disclaimer

 _Leah_

I held Paul's hand in mine and thought about Apisi. If I could move on like this, was he my imprint? I looked at the hut where the tribal meetings were held and released a breath I didn't know I was holding. I needed answers, this much I was certain of. I walked in and was greeted by Old Quil's smile and Billy. My mom was there as well. She looked upset and a little pissed off, if I was being honest. She wouldn't look me in my eye.

"I want to know everything about female wolfs." I said, taking my seat.

"W-"

"Yeah, I know you have nothing on female wolfs. You said I was a genetic dead end so maybe the Taha Aki thought I would be better protecting the tribe. I need to know why, there has to be somewhere in history some other form of a female wolf. You said I wouldn't have children, that I couldn't imprint. Those two things are lies. Because I have a daughter and my imprint is dead." I ignored the gasps I heard around me and refused to look at my mother. "My daughter is going to be four years old in winter and I would like it if I could find her by then. So please, tell me what I need to know." I could feel the tears falling down my face and wiped them off. Crying was as much a bitch as I was.

"I think it's time Quil." I heard Billy say. Old Quil nodded his head and seemed to age almost immediately as he looked at me.

"You have to understand," Old Quil started, "we didn't even know these stories a lot. Our parents were the ones who stopped telling the stories the way they really were. Everything is correct about the - "

"About the male wolves," I felt my body start to shake with the increasing frustration Old Quil was putting me through.

"Okay, here's the story:

"Utlapa was a spirit warrior accompanying Taha Aki. When they got into a dispute, Utlapa was forced out of the Quileute tribe, Taha Aki followed him in spirit. Utlapa found his opportunity to seek revenge and raced Taha Aki to Taha Aki's body, Utlapa got there first. What our parents stopped telling us about the female murderer. There was just no female warriors for generations I guess they felt it wasn't that important anymore. Utlapa had four daughters, he killed the first three as soon as they were born, but when the fourth was born he killed the mother instead.

"The female grew in great strength as her father wanted and as a descendent of a spirit warrior she herself was able to attune into her spirit self and live for generations. This was at the time of the first wife of Taha Aki. Taha Aki had many sons and only one daughter. The daughter came before he returned as a wolf, when he did return as a wolf, he breathed into the girl and transferred a part of his wolf over to her. The two girls grew up as sisters because Utlapa needed a mother for his daughter. He lusted after Taha Aki's wife and one night he forced himself on her. This was reason enough for Taha Aki to kill Utlapa, but then he let him live if he took his daughter away and never returned to their house. The first wife was never the same, and took care of the sons and daughter while Taha Aki married the second wife. When Utlapa murdered Yut, Taha Aki knew he had to put a stop to Utlapa so he killed him.

"The daughter, Ayasha, found out about her father's murder when she was 17, three years later. She confronted Taha Aki who she saw as her uncle, and demanded answers. She started shaking and turned into a wolf herself. Taha Aki shifted as well and helped the young wolf. This was a surprise, but Utlapa was looking after his daughter and asked the spirit wolf to always be there for his daughter at the time, Utlapa wanted his daughter to take out revenge, hence the phasing. A couple of months later, she was talking to Taha Aki's daughter and phased, killing her friend in the process. Ayasha buried the body and fled for two generations before coming back. If you're a female shifter, that would mean that at some point the blood lines have crossed."


	14. Chapter 14

**disclaimer

 _Leah_

Leah stared at the elders in disbelief.

"And you didn't think this was something that needed to be shared? You guys should've opened your fucking mouths! Especially since I phased. You guys claimed you didn't know anything, and yet here we are," Leah took a breath, trying to calm herself. "Here we are, and you just told the whole story."

"Leah, you have to understand. Your phasing was such a shock that we didn't know what to make of it. It wasn't even until right before the Volturi came that we even realized. We think that your mother and father were the ones to mix the bloodlines. By the time your mother was born, the Cullen's were already gone and no vampires came by this way until they came back. By that time, your parents would've been old enough not to phase. We tried to protect you guys, but we couldn't."

"This whole wolf nonsense, makes no sense in the first place and now you're telling me that I'm some type of what? Spirit walker?"

"Spirit warrior, actually." Leah glared at Old Quil.

"I don't give a fuck about the technicalities of the name," she growled.

"So, if she were to grow like Ayasha did, could she use her spirit "warrior"?" Paul asked, Leah lookout at him in speculation, wondering what the hell he could be going on about.

"Technically, yes. But we have no idea how to go about that." Billy answered, Paul turned to Leah and started to whisper.

"If you can use your spirit, it'd be much easier to find your daughter, don't you think? Because your daughter would've inherited a part of your soul," Leah quickly nodded and looked eager to start training.

"Honey, I have some books at home. Look through them until you find one that has the title A," Sue spoke up. "Why you finish finding the answers you are looking for I want you to get my granddaughter, so I can meet her. And we'll be having a long talk when you put her to sleep." Leah gave her mom and small smile before dragging Paul out of the meeting.


	15. Chapter 15

**disclaimer

 _Leah_

"Do you want me to go with you?" Paul asked once they reached the Clearwater home; Leah turned to look at him.  
"I actually need you to check on Sam and the kids. He said he got it, but you know. He could still have a bottle somewhere. And I'm kind of nervous. He's never had much success watching all four by himself." Paul gave her a kiss on her forehead and relaxed her thoughts by telling her he'd make sure everything would be okay. After Paul left Leah went in the house and looked on the bookshelf for the book her mother was talking about. She found a book titled 'A' and immediately picked it up. It looked more like a journal than anything. She picked it up and opened the first page.

 _This book belongs to Ayasha, daughter of Utlapa. This is to be passed down to the females of each generation. I know one will read it. And that one will be the answer to a lot of people, but will also bring about many question. Daughter, I am here with you. I'm not sure how long it will be when you read this, but an old lady in a young body can hope to meet you one day. Please heed my words and my warnings. They will help you, first I will tell you my story:_

 _I was the daughter of Utlapa and his wife. He killed my mom because she didn't produce a son, but when he saw me he loved me. He lusted after Taha Aki's wife at the time and we, me and Taha Aki's daughter, grew up as close as sisters. One day his lust went to far and he raped my friend's mom. It was a confusing time for me, because although I knew in my heart of heart's that what he did was wrong, he was still my dad and I loved him. I still love him. In my young eyes, he could do no wrong._

 _After that day, we moved somewhere else and I grew up in the strength my father prayed to the spirits for. My father was still the leader of the tribe and then something happened and Yut, tried to betray him. My father didn't like people who betrayed him, and thus he murdered Yut. Yut just happened to be Taha Aki's brother-friend and so Taha Aki murdered him. Some say that Taha Aki had relations with Yut. It could be possible. I was 6 at the time._

 _Anyway, Taha Aki became the new leader of the tribe and passed on his "wolf genes" to his sons and his other friends. Who they say are just his wolf "companions". Of course, nothing that goes against the "Great Taha Aki" will ever be shared with you. But I'm telling you now that I know for a fact that he has slept with at least one of the guys that were in his "wolf pack". God the audacity of them makes me squirm now. After he killed my father, Taha Aki took me in. Of course, I didn't know that it was actually him until I was seventeen._

 _Because I grew in great spirit strength, I was able to see my father while he stayed watching over me. When he told me the truth of his death I was livid and scared. He killed my father, he could easily kill me. My father asked the wolf spirit to be there for me. I found this out only when I phased while interrogating Taha Aki who wouldn't tell me anything, of course. I could tell he was trying to calm me, but I couldn't hear a word his wolf was thinking. I was with my own thoughts. Because I too heard the legends, I knew to calm down after dark, so that nobody could see my body._

 _Taha Aki's daughter, bless her soul, she didn't phase in time. She was so_ calm _it was irritating. To think that Taha Aki breathed in her the wolf spirit, what a waste. And she only birthed one son. I buried the body and told her husband - an outsider - that she was mauled by a bear and it would be best to go to the nearby tribe and stay there until further notice. He left, believing every word I said. It took until the third wife for the vampires to come. She was stupid and decided to literally die. She plunged the knife in her heart. They tell you that the vampire was distracted long enough for Taha Aki to destroy it._

 _Question their thinking. Why would the vampire stop and sniff the air? If you're a human drinking vampire, you will do everything in your power to get that meal. It is said that in the moment of hunting, a vampire is at his/her strongest. The vampire got a hold of the girl and was able to suck some blood into it's mouth before the blood could cool any longer and after 2 seconds, Taha Aki came too and destroyed the leech that was on top of his mate. He stayed next to his wife for three days before her transformation was complete. He meant to kill his wife, but he didn't have the strength, whereas it's sick to think it, but my father could kill his wife without blinking._

 _Taha Aki left, after he dragged Third Wife into Canada. I found him nearly two decades later and I was finally able to take out revenge for my father's murder. Now, I am here trying to take care of my kids and trying to grow them as strong as my father taught me. The spirits came to me and said that the bloodlines would cross at one day. I know you will face adversity and hatred, but you must stay strong for the time is near when you will need your strength in it's full capacity. Taha Aki is_ dead. _I would like you to share this with those elders. I look at Little Quil, Henry, and Billy and I know that one day it will be them. I just hope everything get's fixed by that time._


	16. Chapter 16

*Disclaimer

 _Leah_

She dropped the book as she tried to process what the words meant. The spirit they were so certain was alive had been dead for the better part of half a century. She looked off into space, why would she need her strength? The third wife is now a vampire? Not a martyr? The pages that remained were simple instructions on how to "grow" in this strong way that her ancestor seemed to raise her own kids.

Leah thought about all of this in her head, but one question started pushing its way in: where was she now? Ayasha could probably help her find her daughter. Leah didn't care about all the crap about Taha Aki and his enemies. She could feel the connection with her daughter waning as if it were a rubber band stretched out and she was scared that like many rubber bands, it wouldn't hold for much longer. Something was bound to make it snap.

 _Paul_

Paul left Leah at the Clearwater house in pursuit of Sam's after phasing. Truth be told, he didn't trust Sam with the kids anymore than he would trust a grizzly bear or a mountain lion. There were no other wolves phasing, as was usual. Since the Volturi left, many of the wolves controlled their temper and barely phased anymore. Paul stalked the house and saw Michael, SJ and Leanna was watching T.V. He phased back into human form and saw knocked on the door.

He could hear five heart beats but meaning they were all there, but only three were in the living room. Michael got up and opened the door with a smile on his face once he noticed that it was his Uncle Paul. SJ went in for the kill jumped on Paul. He pretended to be hurt before he stopped at the couch and flipped SJ on his back and began tickling him. Leanna looked at them and smiled shyly at Paul.

"Hey princess, where's your daddy?" She gave Paul a kiss on the cheek as he picked her up and pointed to Rhea's room, "thanks darlin'."

Paul walked into Rhea's nursery and was surprised to see that Rhea looked somewhat frustrated as Sam hovered over her with a diaper in his hand. The seven month baby looked at Paul and it almost seemed like she sighed in frustration.

"Paaaw," she drawled out before stuffing her fist in her mouth and smiling, Paul smiled back and looked at Sam who had all eyes on him.

"What's up dude, came to check up on you and the kids."

"I can take care of my kids just fine, Lahote," Paul raised an eyebrow at him and looked at the diaper in his hand.

"How long have you been standing like that, her diaper needs to change," Sam blushed.

"Emily did most of this stuff, I don't know how to change the diaper I just rocked them to sleep. Rhea's the only one who isn't breastfed, I never had to feed the others. This- this is too much."

"Hey, man. It's okay. That's what I'm here for. Leah can't be here anymore, she needs to look for her own little girl, but she can't do that with a clear conscious if your sitting here staring off into space and not taking care of the children."

"I wouldn't let her stay, she has to find her daughter."

"And what are you going to do? Use your alpha command? She's not in your pack Sam. She's being selfless the least you can do is get your shit together and let her go find her daughter in peace." Sam nodded gravely and opened the diaper.

"I don't want her to fall," Paul rolled his eyes.

"You'll catch her before she falls off the table. Wolf reflexes and all, you know. It's kind of a perk." Sam nodded again, still looking lost.

"Here, I'll help you," and that's how Paul found himself covered in baby powder in Sam's house while Sam fed the other three kids and fixed Rhea's bottle while Rhea sported a backward diaper.


	17. Chapter 17

*disclaimer

 _Leah_

She whipped her head at the sound of thunder crackling outside of her home; it sounded more like angry voices coming from the heavens then the onslaught of a thunderstorm. She walked outside and was surprised to see not one cloud in the sky, a rarity in the little town of Forks.

 _Leah_. She turned her head to the forest closer to the mountains as her wolf was awaken from inside of her. She didn't know what happened next, but all of a sudden she was down on four legs running towards the sound. The wolf part of her was easily justified in running in the direction of the elder spirit's calling, but the human side of her was wondering if she finally cracked under all the pressure. She thought that maybe taking care of Emily and Sam's kids without her own child and a loss of an imprint was too much for her mind to bear and it finally gave out. When she came to the top of the mountain, she figured she was outside of Forks and turned into human Leah. Her wolf led her towards a cave on the side of the mountain. She peered in, her supernatural senses highly alert. Her wolf seemed almost giddy inside of her and she wondered, not for the first time, what was going on.

"Come in," she heard a voice that sounded eerily like her own. Against her own judgement and to her wolf's delight she walked into the cave and immediately, it was transformed from a cave to a beautiful modern rustic home. "I had to do some remodeling over the years, and I got more land, but overall it's just as cozy as the first hut," Leah turned her head only to look at a young woman, maybe in her twenties with thick brown hair and a tri-ring choker around her neck. Leah saw her as the type of woman that took no bullshit.

The woman smiled at Leah, "You must be Leah. My many times over great granddaughter. Nice to formally meet you, I'm Ayasha."

"I don't understand what happened, one minute I heard my name and the next minute I'm here." Ayasha nodded as she guided Leah to sit in the living room. Leah stared at the picture of wolves and thought of the two tribes back home.

"It's something as a spirit warrior that you will get used to with patience and practice. As spirit warriors, we have a connection with anything that we create, whether that be a novel or a connection with a mate or a child. Our spirit is connected to that item forever. So, when you opened my book, my spirit searched for the "intruder" and found you. That's when I called you and your wolf was excited because it also connected with the wolf spirit my father asked for myself." She looked at Leah quizzically, silently asking if Leah understood.

"Yeah, I don't know. I just want to find my daughter. I need to find her, I've already spent too much time and -"

"You feel as though the connection is waning." Leah looked at her, wondering how she knew what she was thinking almost an hour ago. Leah could only nod. "Yes, well your friends, the Cullens? Are on the lookout for the vampire that has an obsession with hybrids, the only problem is that the seer cannot see him because he himself is surrounded by hybrids, which makes things a little difficult. Which is why I have called you to train with me, away from the tribes and the people." Ayasha took Leah's face between her palms in a comforting manner, "if all three of the spirits are connected, they can truly be a beautiful thing. The spirit warrior has the connection and ability to aid your human spirit for the endurance needed to sustain such energy in your battle ahead, while your wolf will help you fight. The spirit warrior and human spirit inside of you can do so much more. But I can only explain that if you accept."

 **A/N**

***Links in my profile for pictures of characters not in Twilight


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